Worth Fighting For
by Meg0613
Summary: Set after Spellbound, because that ending scene left me with all kids of questions.


Worth Fighting For

Post Spellbound

"Are you and Noah up for company for pizza night? I'll spring for garlic knots, then we can have pizza we actually want and not just plain cheese. Is there anything new at Redbox? I'm not sure if I can do Trolls again. " Barba offered as they walked down the steps of the courthouse.

 _He knows Friday is pizza night? He knows Noah likes garlic knots better than pizza? And, God yes can we please not watch Trolls again. How does he know all this?_

"Liv, are you OK? If you're not up for it no big deal." Barba said trying to hide his disappointment.

'What, sorry no, I mean yes, we would love company for pizza night. Please get us a grown up pizza, he'll be fine with the garlic knots, but unless you want to watch Paw Patrol I can guarantee you it's going to be Trolls." She said bringing her mind back from where it had wondered.

"Ok, another date with Poppy and Branch it is." Barba laughed, "I'm going to go home and change then I'll get the food and be over."

"Ok, see you at home." She said and he smiled before he turned and walked towards his apartment. _Oh God why did I say that? It's not like he lives there? It's not his home. We aren't even.._ She shook her head to snap out of her thoughts and hurried home to Noah.

She managed to get home and give Noah a bath a change him into his pajamas knowing that after he filled himself with garlic knots he would fall asleep while watching the movie. She quickly changed herself into a pair of yoga pants and t-shirt, she moved to the kitchen and opened a bottle of wine and pulled out the bottle of scotch that she kept for when he was there. _When had she started keeping thigs at her place for him? She hadn't even kept things for Tucker there._

She heard the doorbell ring followed by Noah's joyful screams as he went running down the hall. 

"Raffi's here! Pizza and knots!" He yelled beating Olivia to the door.

Olivia opened the door where Barba stood in jeans and polo shirt, holding boxes and bags of take out.

"Raffi! Did you bring knots?" Noah asked excitedly

"Si amigo, y galletas." He said with a grin avoiding the look on Liv's face.

"Cookies! Rafi brought cookie, Mamma, I have some?" He asked

 _When did he teach Noah the Spanish word for cookies?_

"You can have one, after your knots and some carrots and strawberries." She said giving a Barba a look that he knew all too well.

"I don't want strawberries and carrots, I want knots and cookies." Noah protested.

"Mamma is right Noah, carrots and strawberries first then one cookie." Barba said firmly. _When had he learned to talk to Noah like that?_

They plated up their dinner on paper plates, and poured their drinks, moving effortlessly around each other in the kitchen. Olivia spread the blanket out on the floor and Barba put the movie in. After they finished eating they slowly migrated to the couch. First Olivia, then Barba on the other end, finally Noah settled in between them. As Olivia had predicted Noah fell asleep before the movie was over his head in Olivia's lap and feet in Barba's

"I'm going to go lay him down." Olivia said trying to scoot out from under him.

Barba got stood up and reached down and gently picked him up, "I've got him."

 _Was this what Friday nights were now, she, Noah and Barba eating pizza, falling asleep in front of the TV, like a family?_ _Barba tucking Noah in at night?_ It wasn't that Olivia didn't like it, she did, but something was unsettling her about all of it. She began to pick up the dishes from dinner throwing the paper plates away and pouring them each another drink. Her mind flashed back to their conversation with Abby earlier.

" _If you want him fight for him, but if he doesn't get it then it's not worth the fight." She had told Abby_

" _Who knows maybe it will all work out." Barba had said as Abby walked away._

"That's it," She said aloud to the empty kitchen, "things don't 'just work out you have to fight for them, some things are worth fighting for."

"What's worth fighting for?" Barba asked coming back into the kitchen picking up the glass of scotch she had poured him.

"Nothing, I was just thinking about Abby." She said as she began to wipe the counters.

Barba studied her for a minute, "Are you Ok Liv? You seem a little distracted tonight."

"Yes, it's just been a long week." She covered.

Barba nodded, "All right, I'll let you get to bed early." He told her as he put his shoes and walked back to her and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thanks for letting me come over tonight Liv, it was nice."

He was about halfway to the door when he heard her say, "This isn't just going to happen we are going to have to fight for it."

He turned back around and closed the space between them standing before her, "Fight for what Liv?"

"For whatever we are doing here. We work, we squabble, we flirt, we hang out with Noah, but we never talk about what's going on and we never talk about everything that has gone on. " She told him.

He looked at her, "What are you saying Liv?" He asked her his heart beating faster.

She reached out and took his hand, "I am saying that I think we could have something worth fighting for."

"OK, so we fight, but first..." he stopped and took her face in his hands and kissed her. "So what do you want to fight about?" he asked with a grin.

Once she regained her thoughts she pulled him over to the couch and sat down next to him, "I want to fight through the awkward and uncomfortable. We've both done things over the last year and a half that have hurt the other and we have to be able to talk about it. We both seem to want this to be something else but are afraid to talk about it. Things aren't just going to work out between us if we don't fight for it." She said repeating her words from earlier.

Barba nodded, "This is either going to require either more scotch or coffee." He told her.

"I'll put the coffee on."

For hours they sat on her couch and talked the things unsaid between them. Things got tense on more than one occasion when they both felt defensive but they managed to talk their way through it. They eventually got around to what could come next.

"Noah comes first, I need you to understand that. Whatever comes out of this has to fit in around him. If you can't do that I understand." She told him without hesitation.

"I don't want to do anything to take away from Noah, I want whatever this is to include him." Barba assured her.

"We can't let fighting about work lead to fighting about us. I might fight Lieutenant Benson on a case but I don't want it to fight with Olivia my girlfriend about it too."

"Your girlfriend?" She teased and he raised an eyebrow at her reminding her she was supposed to be serious. "I'll do my best." She promised.

He moved closer to her on the couch pulling her into his arms, "We've been fighting with each other and for each other for a long time, now we start fighting for us."

"We know we are good at fighting." She said placing a hand on his face. "Why don't we work on the kissing a little more now."

"I won't fight you on that." He told her as their lips met for a long slow kiss.

The End


End file.
